The Newest Clan
by Oakheart12
Summary: Scourge's daughter, a she-cat named War, is asked by her fellow rogues to again form BloodClan and find them a place in the forest.
1. Chapter 1

War moved carefully through Twolegplace. Although she knew the area well, she was wary of dogs and Twolegs, and was well on her guard. Rain drizzled down, giving the day a gloomy appearance, but War rather enjoyed the rain. It was an old friend; it masked her scent and washed her pelt for her.

The claws on her collar clicked together as she padded through an alleyway. The small black she-cat was on her way to meet her oldest ally, Cut.

He was a huge black and white tom with green eyes, who had raised her when her father and mother had died.

War knew she was close. The stink of rotting flesh carried to her nose on the slow breeze, mingled with blood. The she-cat smiled. _When is he gonna learn he's way too old to be fighting? _she wondered.

Coming around the side of a red stone Twoleg nest, she saw him. Cut was lazily pinning down a dark ginger tom with dark blue eyes.

"Have we learned our lesson?" meowed Cut. The tom couldn't speak, his throat was covered by Cut's massive black paw. He just nodded. Cut sprang lightly off of him. The young cat leapt to his feet, gasping. He turned tail and ran.

"Oh, War. Didn't see you there," said her mentor, bending to lick a cut clean.

"Hi, Cut. Was that him again? Hasn't he come around before?" she asked. "Yeah, been here a couple of times. I think his name is Ravage, but he's always silent. Bloom told me his name," he added, referring to the light creamy loner who had born his single kit.

"Well, whatever. Leap told me that you had something to say, something important."

"As a matter of fact, he does," said a familiar voice. Leap slid down the red stone wall, his gray tabby coat slicked with rain, his yellow eyes glittering.

"Leap! Did you bring the others?" asked Cut. Leap nodded. All at once, four cats appeared from hiding places in the shadows.

War recognized only two besides Leap, Bloom, and her kit, Clear. His dark brown pelt was shining, and his green eyes were excited.

War prepared herself to fight. "Calm down, War. This was arranged by Leap and I," Cut reassured her. She relaxed a little.

"War, you know that your mother and father died on the same day, he in battle, and she giving birth to you."

The black she-cat nodded. Oddly enough, she felt no sorrow, only a strange longing when she thought of them, which was rarely. "It's time I told you about your father. His name was Scourge," meowed Cut solemnly.

A murmur ran through the assembled cats at the name, whispering reverently.

"I don't know your mother's name, but I do know that your father rallied a loose group of cats together and battled the cats that live in the forest. He died when a cat called Firestar killed him. His group of followers was called BloodClan. Scourge's goal was to conquer the forest and rule all four Clans that live there."

"Wait! Clans, BloodClan, my father...what does it have to do with me? Am I supposed to get revenge on Firestar!?"

One of the she-cats War didn't know stepped forward. She was wiry and lean, with a scruffy orange and black coat, and large brown eyes.

"I'm Lark," she introduced herself. "My a father was a rogue who took a mate from one of the Clans, one called WindClan. I know a little about the Clans," she said nervously, as if expecting to be instantly rejected.

"Tell us," War prompted. Her curiosity had peaked.

"OK, there are four Clans. ThunderClan, ShadowClan, WindClan, and RiverClan. They each have a leader, who's name always ends in star. They're not allied most of the time, and they fight constantly. That's about it," Lark finished.

"OK, but I still don't see what all this has to do with me," answered War. Her head was spinning wildly, trying to keep track of all the new names and information.

"War, you are your father's daughter. What I want, what every cat here wants of you...is to rebuild BloodClan and find us a place on the forest."

War felt as if she had been struck by a Twoleg monster. _Me? Lead cats? Form a Clan? WHAT!?_

Lark mewed, "We know we're asking a lot, War. Don't make any hasty decisions."

"I hardly know any of you here!" was all she could get out in her stunned state. Cut cleared his throat. "We'll give you three days to decide. Meet us all back here then, and we'll either get started or find a new leader."

One by one, all the cats slipped into the shadows again, as if they had never been there. They left a small balck she cat with an amber and a bue eye, wondering what had just happened.


	2. Long-lost, and Not Wanted to Be Found

Freeze wound his way delicately through the trash cans, his long white legs quick. He was a young cat, white, with gray stripes ringing his tail, and ice blue eyes. His ears pricked.

From behind the trash cans he heard some cat muttering to themselves. Freeze slipped toward them and peered around. All he saw was a long furred lashing black tail. He could smell a she-cat, young, and worried.

"Lead a Clan!? What in my questionable character makes them think I'll be a good leader?"

Freeze snuck up quietly behind her. With a shock, he recognized her. "W-War?" he said tremulously. The cat whipped around, snarling.

Her anger evaporated when she saw his face. "Freeze!" she whispered. He couldn't believe it was really her. They had been foster littermates, raised by Cut, until the Twolegs had kindapped Freeze. He had escaped the day after, but they had taken him far away.

He gazed at this cat. It had been so long since he had seen her, and she had a collar! But he could smell no Twoleg scent on her.

"I thought you died," she breathed. She circled him, looking him all over. "You, uh, haven't changed!" she mewed brightly.

"You either," he said, regaining his breath. "What's with your collar?"

"Oh, Cut made this for me. Said my dad wore one like it-"

"Cut! He's still alive?" said Freeze excitedly. War nodded. She told him what had transpired in the alley, and about her father, Scourge.

"Wow. Lead a Clan?" said the white tom. "That sounds big. Is Cut serious?"

"Yeah, and a bunch of others are too. Bloom, Clear, Leap, and a she-cat named Lark. They want me to fight the Clans for a place in the forest. But...where have you been?" she asked him quietly.

"Remember? Twolegs stole me. And yes, it did take me this long to get back here," he said drily. "Well, you always were the worst at tracking," War recalled.

"Oh, was he now?" asked a sarcastic voice. War turned and leaped at the voice, claws out. The dark ginger tom barely avoided her. Ravage landed neatly on the ground, and began licking his chest.

"Well, I'm glad we're all friends here, but I wanted to tell you that you'll never defeat the Clans," Ravage meowed. He stopped licking his chest and smiled, his eyes half shut. War narrowed hers. "What makes you so sure?" she asked.

"Well, you're no Scourge," he began. "And I'm his son!"

War laughed harshly. "Wrong! I'm Scourge's only heir!" Ravage shook his head. "I'm afraid you are mistaken, _little sister_. Ever wondered why I look so familiar?"

"Honestly, you expect me to believe that we have known each other, as enemies, since I was born, and you..." she trailed off, realizing that she _had_ known Ravage all her life. She had always suppressed two memories. One was of a dark ginger kit, with dark blue eyes. The other was of a black cat, with eyes like chips of ice, grinning maliciously, as if he had plans for her.

"You're really my brother?" she asked. Freeze looked equally surprised. He shook it off. "Well, if you've withheld this information for this long, you sure are a terrible sibling," he hissed. Ravage turned on him. ""But why didn't Cut raise you too?" asked War. She looked confused.

"Because he apparently didn't want me to learn how to fight. You got Scourge's looks, while I got his personality. Cut literally left me to die in front of a dog."

"No! Cut would never abandon a kit! How could he know you're like Scourge?!"

"Yeah," agreed Freeze. _This tom's story makes less and less sense, _he thought. "Because I didn't mewl when I was born, and that was enough, in his mind," Ravage replied. He turned back to War.

"So, sis, we have a little problem. Cut wants you to lead those rogues to a life in the forest, correct?"

War nodded, stunned. "Too bad. I have a few warriors of my own," Ravage hissed. "And I think _I _would make a much better leader," he continued.

War stiffened. "No. Even if I don't want to be a leader, I can't let you be one. You are clearly insane," she said quietly. As if to prove her point, Ravage laughed crazily. "Oh, sis. You think I haven't killed before? I wouldn't hesitate to rip your heart out and feed it to my warriors!"

Two cats appeared. One was a dark brown tabby, with amber eyes. He was snarling, claws out. The other looked slightly apprehensive. He was strange. He had a black tabby pelt with silver stripes, and his eyes were silver too.

In short, he looked like a ghost. "The brown tabby is Wave, and the freak is Cold," announced Ravage. Anger flashed in Cold's eyes, but he said nothing.

Freeze's heart was pounding. _They look formidable. Maybe War and I should make a graceful exit-_His thoughts were cut short by War's yowl.

Suddenly, cats appeared in the tree behind her. Her recognized Leap, Cut, Bloom and Clear. He also spotted a young black and orange she-cat. _I wonder if that's Lark_, he thought.

"You called, War?" asked Lark, not taking her eyes off Cold and Wave. Cut sneered. "Ravage, you little reject. Think you can challenge your sister?"

White- hot hatred took hold of Ravage. "_REJECT!? I AM SCOURGE'S HEIR!" _he howled. Cut snorted. "Yes, that's why he said to tell her to take on her father's conquest, and not _you_. I knew I should have made sure that dog killed you," he added.

"Cut, you really tried to kill my brother?!" shrieked War. "Listen, War that's not important right now!" insisted Cut.

The two sides glared at each other. It looked like battle.


	3. The First Battle

War closed her amber and blue eyes. She took a huge breath, as if it could make all the cats around her go away. Then she blinked her eyes open. Ravage was still there, with Wave and Cold, the strange silver-eyed cat. War wondered if her was perhaps blind.

"Ravage, I don't want any unnecessary confrontations. Take your cats and _GO_," she snarled. If her brother wanted a fight, he'd get one. Suddenly she was aching to sink her claws into his dark ginger fur.

"Never. I'm not giving you a chance to lead BloodClan when it's clearly my right!" he hissed back.

"What makes you so entitled to it?" asked Freeze. The white tom was poised to leap. "I was born first, I am her elder brother," explained Ravage.

"Well, we're seven, and you're three. You like those odds?" snarled Leap. Uncertainty flashed across Ravage's eyes, but he shook it off. "Plenty," he growled, and sprang for War's throat. She whisked out of his way, slashing him across the flank as he landed, and knocking him around the head.

He quickly got to his paws.

"Cut taught you something after all," he snarled. "Best trainer in the world," the black she-cat replied. They circled each other. War thought it was strange that Cold and Wave had not followed Ravage into battle.

He noticed as well. "Move, you idiots!" he yowled. As if shaken from a dream, the warriors ran at Leap and Jester. Copying War's evasion moves, Jester let Cold land before swiping at him. However, Cold had learned something as well.

He ducked under Jester's blow, and took a shot at his belly, bowling him over. Wave went for Freeze, and they locked together in a writhing mass of white and dark brown tabby fur.

Ravage feinted left, then right, and got on War's back. She rolled over, trying to crush him, but being the smaller cat, all this did was let him slash at the sides of her head.

"So, you were the one to be tiny, just like Scourge! Maybe there's something of him in you, too!" Ravage whispered in her ear.

Heart clawed at Cold, forcing him to jump away from her brother, but Wave was there in an instant, swatting her onto her side. Ears back, she got up and returned the blow.

Suddenly, over the screeching and hissing of fighting cats, War and Ravage made out the approaching pawsteps and barking of a dog.

They leapt off each other. "BloodClan, retreat!" howled War. Her followers left their battles and went after her, scrambling up the wall, as did Ravage and Cold. Wave was not so lucky.

The dog rounded the corner, a huge ugly black creature with huge gleaming fangs. It grabbed Wave around the middle, shaking him back and forth. His cries of pain made something snap in War's mind. Without think, she jumped off the wall, getting as much force from her back legs as possible.

She careened into the dog, ripping open his throat, blood gushing all over her. The dog shrieked and let go of Wave, dropping him like a stone.

War continued to slash open the dog's neck until it flopped onto the ground and lay there twitching. War turned to Wave.

The dark brown tabby was not moving. Cold leapt off the wall after her. He padded over. He looked over Wave's stomach, which had puncture marks all over it. "His wounds are large, but they did not reach his inner belly. If we act quickly he will live."

War nodded, breathing heavily. "What do you need?" she asked. Heart came down too. "You need to find something to stop his bleeding, cobwebs would be perfect, and something to ease the pain."

He looked up at the cats on the wall, who stared back at him with huge eyes. "Do any of you know where a poppy flower grows?" he meowed.

Ravage offered, "I think one grows next to a Twoleg den. I'll get you a head." Looking relieved to have something to do, he dashed off. "We still need cobwebs, and some chervil. It smells sweet, has leaves like a fern, and has small white flowers."

Bloom gasped. "My former house people had some in their garden! I'll be right back," she promised, speeding away. Clear followed her.

"Wave, try not to breathe too heavily. Too much movement will make the blood come faster," instructed Cold. The dark tabby could apparently still hear him. _I hope that means he's not dying, _thought War. Then she chided herself.

_What am I thinking?! Just a moment ago, he was trying to kill Jester and Heart! No, I can't be like that. Ravage might be, but I won't!_


End file.
